Tow line



S. REICHERT July 25, 1933.

TOW LINE Filed Oct. 25, 1952 gxw wto v Samuel Heicheri Patented July I v.

' Qumran STATES saniunnnnronnnnor GARDENAQQALTFQBNIA, ssi nees: one-Hetero JosErH r 'no'NA' nso'n, or". FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA I "'rowt Linn Application filed ctober'25,1932. Serial mfcsa soi.

sudden jerks and pulls upona towlineaare the cause of most of the failure of. such lines at critical times, as fore xam'ple when a vehiclejis being. towed up a hill. In the latter event itoftentimes becomes necessary I for the towingv vehicle to shift gearsa11d- T thus cause a jerk when the: new -.;-forward speed is resumed which issufficient to snap a tow line in which the pull or strain. upon the line will be taken up first by the stretch of the elastic strips and then by the web of metallicfabric in conjunction with the elastic strips after the web has been extended as far as the looseness of itsweave will permit. I p

Other objects of this invention are to provide in a manneras will be apparent, a tow line which is strong, light weight, durable,

quick and easy .to attach, inexpensive to' manufacture and which may be conveniently stored in a small space.

The invention will be best: understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing which forms apart of this specification, with the understanding that changes and modifications may be effected which come within the scope of the hereunto appended claims. a a v Q In the drawing Vwherein like numerals atow line.notpossessing innate shockpabindicate like parts throughout the several views,

; Figure 1 is a plan; view broken away and partly sectioned of the tow line of this in vention showin the position the metallicweb assumes when extended.

Figure 2 is a side View broken away.

Figure 3 is-a plan view broken away, of the metallic web in relaxed form showing itsnormal width; A;

Figure- 4 is a section online 14 ofFigu1'e,1-. i

1 Figure 5 is u-reltr," 1

A tow. line made in accordancewith this invention comprises a body portion indicated generally as '1, formed of a pair of superimposed flat strips 2 and 3 respective,-

ly,,which areof elastic material and "generally oblong in contour and which. -1I1&y-b8. of any desired lengthor width The two strips are stitchedTtogether;adjacent their side edges for the greater portion of their length by rows of stitching 5 and" 6 so as to provide in e'ifecta sheath for a'w-ebof loosely woven metallic fabric 4 which lies between the, strips 2-and 3 and is of a less width than the latter.- The web 4 is of .the same length when it is extended as theelastic strips 2-and 3 when they are stretched. The purpose of forming the fls tripsand'jthe web of the same length extended is toallow the elastic strips to shorten the web when the strips are relaxed. The strips 2 and 3 are anchoredto the web by rivets indicated as 7 which latter serve also to secure to the flat outer surfaces of the strips adjacent their, end terminal portions, 8 and 9 respectively, substantially U-shaped metal straps '10 and 11 respectively, both formed alike,

which overlap the ends of the strips 2and 3 and extend a little distance from the aforesaid end portions.

a'section on line 5 -5 of-Figs The metal straps 3 i 10 and 11 lie flush upon the surfaces of the.--

strips 2. and 3" where they are anchored to the latter. The portions of the metal straps 10 and 11 which extend from the ends 8 and 9 form barrels 12 and 13 respectively for the reception of-coupling elements 14 and 15' respectively, which are made substantially placed upon a suitable stretching apparatus,

' the elastic strips. 2O

alike, for coupling the tow line'in operation;

[The tow line above described is constructed generally in the following fde scribed mannerz-Two strips of elastic ma-' terial of the same lengthand width'are cut from the sidewalls of a tirecasing; one from each'opposite side {thereof so that when the strips are placed in superimposed relation, they willcounteract thetendency of each otherto curl. The clasticstrips are not shown, andare stretched to within a safe limit of their breaking point. A web of loosely Woven metallic fabric,.of the same, length when'extended as the stretched elas-' tic strips and of a lesswidth than the latter,

is extended as far as the loosenessro'fits Weave will permit and is positioned between extended, are stitchedtogether-for a substantial part of theirlength adjacent their side edges-to forn'nfin efi'ect,*a sheath for r the web. A metal strap bent in the general zit) form of a l) is placed'overeachof the end terminal portions of the sheath andspace'd' from thesaid' endportions to form barrels for the reception of coupling elements. Rivets are put through the straps and extend through the strips and the web sons to anchor together the straps, stripsand web. Tension upon I the now substantially completed tow line is released by the stretching apparatus and the "coupling elements are inserted through the barrels to complete the tow liner;

-What I claimis T 11. A tow .lineicomprisinga. pair of superimposed flat elastic, strips" of like term, means for connectingjthem together in proximity to their side edges, a web of loosely'woven metallic fabric interposed-between said' strips and arranged adjacent the means for connecting the strips together,

coupling elements extended from the ends ofthe strips and means for anchoring said elements, strips and Web together.

The elastic strips, still 7 "2, towline comprising a'pair of superimposed, flat resilient stretched strips, means for connecting said stretched strips arranged adjacent the side edges, of the strips, a metallic web of loosely woven material interposed between and the samelength as said stretched strips, said web arranged adjacent the means for connecting the strips together,

coupling elements overlappingand extendelastic means for taking up the initial load.

strainon the line, a web of stretchable metallic fabric acting in conjunction With said.

elastiomeans to carry a subsequent full load strain placed upon said line when sald means is stretched and arranged in parallelism to said elastic means, and anchoring elements toranchoring'said elastiomeans and said fabric together. i

4. A tow line comprising in combination, elastic me'ansfor taking up the initial load strain ontheline,a web of stretchable metallic fabric acting conjunction with said elastic means to carry a subsequent full loa d'strain placed upon said line when said means is stretched and arranged in parallelism to said elastic means; "anchoring elements for anchoring said elastic means and said fabric together, and coupling-elements connected with said elastic means by said anchoring '1neans.

5. A 130W: line comprising superimposed elastic strips, a web of loosely woven metallic fabric interposed between said strips,'means for anchoring together said web and strips, andcoupling elements connected with said web and strips by said anchoring means. 

